A Glimmer of Hope
by DarkAdvent
Summary: Life has been extremely rough for Finn, Leif and Nanna, as they have always been on the run and have no place to hide from the Grannvale Empire nor the Kingdom of Thracia. The situation looks dim for them as the two children and their retainer try to cling on to the hope that things will get better. Thracia 776 fanfiction and (technically) a prologue to the game.


_Disclaimer: The Fire Emblem series is property of Intelligent Systems, and I do not claim any ownership over any of the names, settings and characters I will be using. This story I will tell here is my own creation, and an attempt to further expand the charming characters and deep lore of Jugdral. I am grateful to our Lord and savior Shouzou Kaga for blessing us with 1 RNG, Missing Staves, Darkness of War, Fatigue, and Random Bullcrap Reinforcements._

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 _Year 761 -The Kingdom of Thracia invades the Manster District. The Grannvale Empire continues its conquest of the Thracian Peninsula._

 _Year 762 - Grannvalian forces assault the Kingdom of Leonster. King Calf and Queen Alfiona are betrayed by General Raydrik and die in battle. Fall of Leonster. Every Knight under the flag of Leonster is killed. A pair of knights escape with the last heir of Leonster's royal family and the Princess of Nordion._

 _Year 763 - The two knights and the two children live in Alster under royal protection._

 _Year 765 - Grannvalian forces invade the Kingdom of Alster. Fall of Alster. The last of Alster's royalty is imprisoned and its remaining soldiers are forced into submission. The Knights and the children escape._

 _Year 769 - The two knights and the children seek shelter at Tahra. One of the knights leaves in search of the Prince of Nordion and is never seen again._

 _Year 771 - The knight and the two children are forced to leave Tahra due to Imperial occupation._

 _And now, in the Year 773…_

Rain had been very heavy this season throughout the Thracian Peninsula. The valleys and forests were being revitalized and Thracian forces were few and far between. Amidst the cold showers of rain and the soothing silent of the night, a certain sound was a disturbance to the wonders of nature. This noise was deep in the forest, inside a particularly made rock formation which sheltered three human souls from the cold and the wetness.

Within the cave were two children and a knight, searching for shelter as they've had since almost the beginning of said children's lives. The boy's brown hair, the girl's blonde hair and the knight's blue hair were all covered in wetness from the storm outside. The water kept falling heavily outside, which meant that even animals were silent, leaving the rain as the only disturbance in an otherwise absolute silence inside the cave.

This wouldn't last however, as the girl started sniffing and sobbing, falling to the carpet of dirt before rubbing her eyes and continuing her sobbing. Her crying became almost as heavy as the rain itself, sobbing and letting tears roll down her cheeks, as among her sobbing and sniffing she quietly spoke a few words which were barely understandable.

"M-Mama… I… I want Mama!"

The girl kept crying out loud, and the knight began to move as if he were to try and calm the small one down. But at that same moment, the brown-haired boy ran towards her and embraced her in a hug deeply filled with an air of their closeness and the pain which they shared.

The girl's crying was the same as before, but she was quick to return the hug as she leaned her head over the boy's shoulder. It was then that the boy decided to speak.

"Nanna… I-I know that you miss your mother, but… We need to be strong. For our kingdoms, your mother, and my parents…"

Nanna finally began to calm down, but Leif could tell that she was still quietly sobbing, so he helped her move so that she could fully lean on him, as he patted her head and her crying disappeared.

"I promised you, didn't I? When we grow up and I can protect you, we'll go look for Lady Lachesis! I swear it, Nanna!"

It was then that the boy could feel her lightly tugging at his shirt, still leaning on him. It was then that he realized she had fallen asleep, blissfully leaving reality in the arms of the only fellow child she could trust. Leif cold only smile at the sight that met him as he let out a yawn.

"One day… We won't have to run anymore. Right, Finn?"

It was then that the knight who made them company finally stood up and spoke a word throughout this whole ordeal. He looked at Leif in the eyes with a comforting look that only the most honest yet broken of people could aspire to have.

"That is indeed correct, Lord Leif. One day… We will take back our realm, and your father's wishes of a unified peninsula will finally come to fruition. For now, I only ask you to cling to what we have. And… my apologies for not acting earlier, I just… I'm still not quite sure how to approach Nanna as of late…"

Leif tries to make a pillow out of his traveling robe, and turns his head to face Finn.

"What do you mean? You're her dad… I don't think it's right for … _Yawn..._ you to be so distant towards her…"

Finn reflected upon these words which, while simple, did speak a great truth. He was about to say something to the young child, but upon another glance he found that Leif too had fallen into a deep sleep, with him and Nanna embracing in all their innocence and their desire to live a much more normal life.

Finn could not help but smile at the sight which met his eyes, as he undid his white cape and used it as a blanket to cover his young companions. He then sat down and looked into the fire, reflecting upon everything that had happened so far.

" _Gods bless me. It's been such a long time, that I honestly almost cannot remember what my life was before the fall of Leonster. Heh..."_

 _He then shifted his gaze from the fire and looked at the sleeping Nanna, peacefully resting on Leif's arms. He couldn't help putting a slight yet sad smile on his face._

" _I apologize, my dears… After being so powerless during every calamity… Lord Leif, I couldn't be there for Lord Quan, Lady Ethlyn or Princess Altenna… Nanna, my sweet child... I couldn't do anything when your mother vanished into the sands of Yied… I'm sorry..."_

 _He then realized that he was getting quite tired as well, so he stood up and made sure the cave's entrance was covered before lying besides the two children. He yawned quietly and looked at the stone ceiling for a little while.  
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" _I wonder how Glade is doing, if he's still alive… All knights under the cross of Leonster were to be either executed or forced to comply. I only know ny mere rumours that he's still alive, somewhere… Heh, it makes me remember our days at the Academy, all ever so distant"_

 _Finn could merely sigh and start closing his eyes, attempting to get rest and prepare to whatever might await them tomorrow._

 _"... I failed my Lord… I failed the woman I love… Lord Leif, Nanna… If you ever decide you should despise me, I will assume my faults. And yet, I'll still make sure you have a bright and happy future within your hands. In the end, what happens to me doesn't matter… Everything I do is to repay Lord Quan, and my love Lachesis… To ensure that one day they can live a life of peace, and accomplish what their parents, including me, couldn't do…"_

And with these words, Finn fell asleep before he could notice, and the three of them rested fairly well, sheltered by the stone formation and soothed by the waterfall from the heavens.

The following morning, Leif woke up feeling fired up and relaxed. He immediately stood up and noticed that Finn and Nanna weren't there, and that the entrance to the cave was open. He didn't wait to step outside as he saw his retainer and almost adoptive father Finn collecting fruits and herbs in the short distance. Leif saw he was busy, so he stretched and walked in the opposite direction to follow the sound of a water current, and it didn't take long before he found himself looking at a rather small river.

He saw Nanna down at the river, as the girl was sitting down peacefully letting her feet feel the flow of the current. Leif started approaching her and sat right besides her, also taking his shoes off and dipping his feet on the water. Nanna seemed to be entranced looking at the water, Leif had to softly shake her so she could even notice his presence.

"Ah, good morning Leif!" she said with a bright smile on her face, which Leif kindly gave back.

"Morning, Nanna. Are you feeling better?" he noticed that she seemed to be completely over her sudden breakout from yesterday, and wanted to make sure she wasn't holding anything back. He knew she was prone to keep things to herself.

Nanna simply looked back at the river, and gave a sigh.

"Leif… Do you think one day we could live a normal life?"

"... Nanna…"

It was then that Nanna looked back at the boy next to her, this time with her eyes giving an expression of sadness.

"I just… I'm starting to get tired of this…" she said as Leif could notice that Nanna was tugging her dress.

"Of having to run from place to place, with our lives being constantly at stake… And getting people in trouble because they are helping us criminals… And who says that you'll be able to fulfill your promises? We're wanted by the Empire, and Papa can only fight so much… It's only a matter of time before we.. we..."

Leif noticed that she looked like she was about to cry again, and lifted his arm he was about to put it over Nanna's shoulder. He knew she was speaking the truth, so he would try to calm her down.

Nanna scooted over so that his arm was now out of reach, and attempted to scream but refrained herself from doing so because even then she knew that was not polite.

"... I know that the Duke of Alster is dead… And the Duke of Tahra… And all those who were in favor of helping us out… And I… I…" she was starting to lose it and a few tears rolled down her eyes.

"I'm honestly certain that Mom is also dead!"

Leif could now see that Nanna's attitude from last night wasn't a random outburst. She was legitimately frustrated and starting to lose hope. Nanna started crying, though this time not as loudly as the night before. Leif restrained himself and merely looked at her, thinking of what to say.

"I just wish we could have a place to have home, to not fear that I could get taken as a hostage and probably get killed either way, to be able to play and convive with other children our age…"

Leif looked at her and saw his own words being reflected by Nanna's mouth. He too desired this, but he understood that the time for that wasn't now, he was determined that one day things would get better and that they would be able to have happy lives full of laughter and tranquility. He knew he needed to cheer her up. Nanna was his one and only friend, the only person his age he could confide in, she was pretty much his sister by this point. He truly loved her, and didn't want to see her in grief any longer. So he came up with an improvised and immediate strategy.

"Aaaah!" is everything Nanna could say as she couldn't process anything, all she felt was a splash of the freezing water all over her body. She cleaned her eyes and looked at Leif, who was now standing up and carrying the biggest grin Nanna had seen him have in a long time.

"Why, you…!"

It was then that Nanna's eyes brightened, as the girl started to stand up but not before getting revenge on Leif, who backed off for naught as the water still covered him.

"Gyagh! Oh? Now you're playing the brave lady, huh? Well, take this!"

Leif threw more water at Nanna, who also backed off for naught and started laughing as the cold water splashed through her face.

The two of them enjoyed their water fight a little bit more than they should have, as they didn't stop for a second even after their whole attires were covered in water. It wasn't until Finn arrived to see what the commotion was all about that they froze right where they were, looking up at Finn who despite his warm smile was still facepalming. Leif and Nanna then looked at each other, and laughed so hard that they lost their balance and ended up sitting on the edge of the river, drowning in laughter until Nanna sneezed, and both of them were forced to get back to the camp by an astonished Finn.

An hour later, the sun kept rising of the sky as morning was still not quite over yet. Finn was looking over the fireplace as some fish he managed to catch were slowly roasting. Finn was glad that the children would be able to taste meat after a week or so of living out of plants and fruits, but that didn't mean that the meat was enough, so a few fruits were ready to accompany their breakfast.

Finn then stood up and looked at a nearby rock, where all of Leif's and Nanna's clothes were swiftly drying up. Finn picked all of them up and walked over to the cave, as he looked down on the children he scolded about an hour earlier.

The two children were mildly sick, naked and curled up inside Finn's cape trying to keep warm. Finn got the clothes of each children within each arm as Leif and Nanna dropped the cape, stood up and started to carefully put their clothes back.

"How are the two of you feeling? Do you still want to play at the river?" Finn said in a tone that could only be described as sarcastic. He jokingly waited for an answer as the children put on their underwear, then Leif put on his pants and his shirt while Nanna put on her dress again. Then they immediately ran out and stopped at the sight of roasted fish which made their mouths water a little.

Finn caught up with them and the three of them had the most delicious breakfast they've had in quite a while. Both children devoured everything Finn had to offer in an instant while Finn slowly ate his smaller part of the meal. After they were all done, they gave thanks to Dain and Nova and Finn stood up in front of Leif and Nanna.

"I'm going to the nearby town to restock on some supplies and get my weapons fixed. I want you to stay inside of the cave, block the entrance and be as quiet as possible until I get back. Understood?"

"Yes!" they replied in unison before they helped Finn undo the fireplace to leave no trace that somebody could be in the area. A few minutes later, Finn got on his horse, Lance and Sword ready to be deployed at any moment, and looked back one last time at the cave where Nanna's face could be seen peeking from what remained of the entrance. The knight smiled at his daughter and waved back before he set off on his journey to the Town which was around 2 kilometers away.

Nanna happily smiled at her father before she totally closed the entrance to the cave, as it was now Leif and her alone. The two of them knew Finn would take up most of the day until he came back, so they immediately started thinking about a way to keep themselves entertained.

She looked back at Leif and saw that he was holding a wooden stick, slowly swinging it before he looked back at Nanna. He handed the stick to Nanna and started thinking.

"So… Wanna play something with that stick?"

"Huh? Like what?"

"I don't know… Maybe… The Priestess and the Devil King!" Leif said, proud of the name he gave to his invention for a game.

"The… What?" Nanna tilted her head as she looked at the stick she had in hand, then she started to get the idea. Just at that moment Leif grabbed another wooden stick as he got into a defensive pose.

"On guard!" Leif said as he happily started roleplaying into the scenario. "For I, am… Uh… Lyon! Lyon the Devil King!" Leif evily smiled at Nanna who was starting to be immersed into their game, very excited to see what fun could result from this kind of game.

Leif walked back and opened a bag Finn had left containing a bunch of apples and pears.

"The fate of the world depends on these sacred stones! Give up your useless struggle and bow down to me! Otherwise, I will destroy the stones myself and let the world sink into chaos and ruin!"

Nanna raised her sword as stood in front of this imposing ruler.

"Never! I will not let you end this world! If you dare challenge our world, then you will have to face me! Hyah!"

The Priestess ran towards her sworn enemy, as their sharp blades engaged in a legendary battle that would be remembered for the ages. They each gave their all and kept fighting to see who of them was the strongest and had the right to judge the whole world.

Meanwhile, far beyond the realm of imagination and much farther than the cave they were confined in, Finn finally made it to the town and started to look for his destination, which he found rather quickly as the blacksmith was merely a few buildings away. Finn got off his horse, took out his lance and made sure his sword was sheathed correctly. He then entered the building and saw a few people waiting in line, though it seemed like one of them was the only one who noticed Finn's entrance. Finn exchanged looks with him: an overly-muscular man with an enormous hammer in his hand. Finn kept looking at him before he quickly realized that he didn't want trouble, so he looked away and sighed. This seemed to have the opposite effect, as now the strange man started to walk towards the blue-haired knight, and Finn could sense this as he silently prayed that this wouldn't mean trouble...

 _To Be Continued…_

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 _If you read thus far, I hope you enjoyed! This is my second attempt at fanfiction, so I would love any sort of feedback ^-^_


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